THE SOUND OF ANIMALS FIGHTING MAKE A LEGENDARY RETURN TO THE WILTERN IN LA

Jan 13

WORDS BY SEAN FORTIER. PHOTOS BY NIKKI NEUMANN.

There’s nothing quite like rolling up to The Wiltern on a cloudy Los Angeles evening for a few hours of hardcore. Maybe it’s the art-deco interior, or the tiered viewing areas or the red curtains draped off to the side that sets the stage so well for energetic music - it rewards intensity and showmanship. You can get sucked into a sonic labyrinth and wander until the walls and ceiling start to resemble some long-forgotten circus grounds. And what might have once felt anachronistic outside before the snack bar entrance can quickly start to seem very much like the here and now.

Not that emo is anachronistic in the slightest. The resurgence of many favorite early 2000’s mainstays could come off as a flirtation with newcomers hopping on a trend, or old hands pedaling legend status. But in the grand tradition of emo, screamo, pop punk, and the ilk- the focus Wednesday night was firmly set on acceptance, vulnerability, and ritual catharsis through music. The grand tenets of which continuously ring true throughout decades. And we had to wait close to an actual decade for some of what was witnessed throughout the evening, more on that anon.

Record Setter kicked off the night and did an excellent job of setting the stage for what was to come with an explosive sound bouncing effortlessly between heavy-hitting screamo and chilling post-rock melodies. Concrete castles took the torch and carried it further with a high-energy set, building up to anthemic guitar-heavy beat drops and pop-inspired vocal melodies.

Hail the Sun lived up to their well-cemented history as a killer live band with a riotous post-hardcore performance. High-octane musicianship and stage presence mix exquisitely well on each song, with frontman Donovan Melero a whirling dervish of a mic stand, cable, and long hair. Halfway through their set Melero switched to playing drums (while continuing on vocals of course). Legend.

TSOAF or The Sound of Animals Fighting. What a performance. There’s always been something about the term supergroup that invites side-eye. As if music could be somehow calculated to some sum of the parts equation. But when it works, it really works. Each member on stage has a well-documented history in music bringing unique flair and creativity. And the chemical mixture indeed goes boom.

The stage was lit by 16 (I think) glowing pillars, calling forth some epic seance to commune with the spirit of a once-thought-dead band. TSOAF was performing their first recorded material in 14 years, on their first tour in 9 years. And with a powerful lineup, fronted by the inimitable Anthony Green - now feted and properly celebrated as the incredible performer that he is.

Each song brought something new and interesting to the show. Sometimes soft and dynamic, here a screaming crescendo, there a polyrhythmic duel between the rhythm section. There was a book read out onstage, live painter Norton Wisdom painted his interpretations of the evening in the back (an interesting watch in real time). Green swung around a weird glowing orb that somehow paired perfectly with the rest of the aesthetic. Guitar solos with wah, helium-high vocals, hugs and laughter, and acrobatics. And through it all not a false note.

When the supergroup goes right it goes so right because not only do you get musical creativity and talent, but seasoned performers bringing unique experiences all grafted onto each other in a Frankenstein’s monster of perfect execution. Like the aforementioned circus sucking the anachronism from the room, Wednesday gave us a clockwork of moving parts so smooth that in the moment we lost ourselves amidst the merrymaking and let the grand performers give us a hint of something magical.